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Rawson's Razors
A mercenary unit operating in the Detroit Wasteland, Rawson’s Razors are infamous for never turning down a job, regardless of what it might entail or who the employer is. Professing no loyalty to any cause or group, they are motivated solely by the promise of Caps, and faithful for as long as their employer keeps paying them. History The history of Rawson’s Razors starts in 2281 with Ryan Rawson, an independent mercenary working in the Detroit Wasteland. Rawson had built his career on the back of doing whatever was needed of him by his employer without asking any questions. As such, his reputation was one of cut-throat ruthlessness and being an almost gleeful killer with no morals whatsoever. This meant that he fell afoul of Black Skull Company’s “good moral standing” clause, (even though said clause was somewhat relaxed following their near defeat on Zug Island) and his application was ultimately rejected. This rejection left Rawson embittered, feeling that Black Skull were being unreasonable in their dismissal of his efforts. Seeing them as being ‘all high and mighty’ and ‘too good for normal people’ he quietly swore that he would show them just what he was capable of. Rather then going on a chem-fuelled shooting rampage like so many others would , however, Rawson surprisingly decided that the best way to get even with Black Skull was to beat them at their own game and form his own mercenary unit. The blackjack and hookers would be optional. Rawson collected together a number of other mercenaries from the Park Lane scene, looking specifically for those who fell into one or both of two key categories. The first was those that were, like him, on the dishonest, dishonourable scum side of the trade and had few issues with doing whatever an employer wanted for a few caps. The second was those that had been turned down by Black Skull Company for whatever reason. His goal was to bring them together to create a group that would challenge Black Skull for their position as the city’s pre-eminent mercenary group. His group grew surprisingly fast as he found followers among those that shared his vision or, at least, some of his resentment. Soon he was bosting a considerably sized unit, one that was made up of dangerous and oft desperate men and women that ranged from professionals with flexible morals to people who were little more than raiders. Feeling that his group had grown too big to keep renting rooms, in 2282 Rawson led his team to conquer an abandoned but easily fortified police station, cleaning out the Feral Ghouls that were infesting it at the time. The Razors saw steady growth during the next two years, helped by the uptick in raider activity among the emerging gangs such as the Wrecking Crew and Cake or Death. Their big break came with the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, which put their services very much into demand. Despite their chequered past, the Razors were hired by Park Lane to help protect against the oncoming hordes of the Army of Revolution. However, the Razors had a vested interest, given that their headquarters was near the Army’s advance. Unfortunately, this eventually wound up placing them under the command of the Black Skull Company as a part of Stan Wendell’s plan to defeat the Army of Revolution. And while the campaign was a success and the Razors not only made off with a hefty stash of caps, but also cleaned up on weapons and supplies scavenged from the Army and the dead bodies of its soldiers, Rawson was again left humiliated and infuriated by what had happened. Not only had he and his men been treated as inferiors to the group they so opposed, but they had also been placed under their command. Rawson’s opportunity to level the playing field would come in early 2287 when his unit was approached by representatives of the Army of Revolution. The Army were hiring mercenaries as a part of a large-scale plan, and the Razors were considered by them both because of their ruthlessness and their dislike of the Black Skull Company. In fact, the latter was such a factor that the Army sold the Razors on the idea that Black Skull would eventually be targets, and the Razors would be able to use this as their chance to get revenge. Rawson eagerly agreed to their terms, placing himself and his unit at the Revolutionaries’ disposal. Their first major action was the conquest of Park Lane, in which they fought alongside soldiers from the Army of Revolution as well as the Scrap dogs. While the Razors were paid well for their efforts (and made no small amount off extra loot), they still were itching for revenge against the Black Skull Company, who had not been present during the battle. That opportunity would present itself two weeks later when the Black Skull Company made an attempt to retake Park Lane. Tipped off by informants, the Razors were ready for the attack, and took up stations within the town. Once the Black Skulls arrived, a pitched battle broke out in which the mercenaries were clearly outnumbered and outgunned, with the Razors (alongside the Army of Revolution and even the Scrap Dogs) able to force them back. However, for Rawson, the best was yet to come. Acting on his own initiative, he had dispatched Whispering Willie, one of his allies, to the Black Skulls’ headquarters to prepare some gifts for them once they got back. Using the same skills he’d utilised to kill the Park Lane city council, Whispering Willie set up several bombs around the facility, ones that would handily breach its defences. Confident that his victory was near, Rawson set off with the Razors and a force of Army of Revolution soldiers to take care of the Black Skulls. Things went mostly as planned. Caught off-guard, the Black Skulls were unable to hold off their attack, and were forced to retreat. Expecting them to run headlong into the third force he had ready for the strike, Rawson was surprised to find that the Black Skulls made a clean getaway. Furthermore, his supposed ally, Mrs Mothrapickles, was nowhere to be found. This left Rawson with a conflicted feeling; he had beaten the Black Skulls and claimed their headquarters as his own, but yet he had missed the opportunity to finish them off. After the conquest of The Castle, Rawson become rather full of himself. It was not just that he had driven out the Black Skull Company, his hated arch-rivals and taken their headquarters for his own that stoked his ego. Rather, it was the fact that one of his agents had been the one who made it possible that did it; a fact not helped by the same man also having been a part of the fall of Park Lane. In short order, Rawson was bragging about how it was his genius (and his alone) that had bought down the Black Skulls and conquered Park Lane. The role that the Army of Revolution (or the Scrap Dogs) had played was dismissed, with the two groups being painted as ‘supporting elements’ in his mind, even though the Razors had only been a part of the overall force. Pretty soon he had become a strutting, self-aggrandising, egotistical blowhard who had fallen in love with his own mythology. Rawson was portraying himself as a millitary genius, one who saw himself as having done the Army of Revolution a favour by siding with them. Despite this, the fact that the Black Skulls had survived still ate at him. He knew that by retreating to Grand Central, they had put themselves beyond his reach. While the Army had reached a new peak, they were aware that they also lacked the manpower to conquer the city. Doing such would likely invite disaster, a fact that ate at Rawson. Holding the Black Skull’s headquarters was a small consolation, but there was still the part of him that wanted them utterly destroyed. Rawson would get his shot at the Black Skulls, but not in a way that he had anticipated. In September, a large force moved on the Castle aiming to retake it. While their ranks had been drawn from numerous different groups, the Black Skull Company were among them. Realizing what was going on (and not wanting to admit that he was in over his head), Rawson ordered his men to hold their ground and the Castle at any cost. This desire came about not just because of the military value of the Castle and his alliance with the Army of Revolution, but also from his own desire not to lose to the Black Skulls. Rawson wanted to deliver a stinging defeat to the attackers, and be hailed as a hero for it. Unfortunately for him, the odds were not in his favor. The invading force vastly outnumbered his, and had surrounded him on three sides. As if that wasn’t enough, they boasted four Power Armour suits at the head of their advance, three more then Rawson had expected anyone to be able to bring to bear against him. The Razors were simply outmatched, and quickly found that their defenses were breached with their enemies storming the Castle. As the battle devolved into an ugly, close-range brawl, Rawson could see that he was not going to be able to hold, despite his supposed military genius. As losses mounted, he was forced to admit defeat and called for a retreat, falling back to Park Lane with substantial losses. The Razors had left nearly half their number behind, either dead or captured, with Whispering Willie (One of Rawson’s top lieutenants) among the fallen. Reaching Park Lane, Rawson reported what had happened to the Army of Revolution, claiming that his move had been a tactical withdrawal aimed at preserving his forces while delivering vital intelligence. Which was a complicated way of saying that he lost and ran away. The humiliation of having lost to the Black Skulls ate at Rawson, shattering his previous air of cocky self-confidence and replacing it with a burning desire to get revenge. This drive meant that he was more than willing to stick by the Army of Revolution and stay on Park Lane, even in the face of an inevitable assault. It was not just that Rawson wanted to get even with Wendell and his men and defeat them on the field of battle once again, but he needed to prove to everyone (including himself) that he was the military genius he claimed to be. Working with Park Lane commander Maurice Speckler, Rawson did his utmost to reinforce Park Lane against what they saw as an inevitable assault. Aside from strengthening their walls and other fortifications, he whipped his troops into shape, trying to instil a ‘death or glory’ mind set into them so that they would continue to fight, no matter what. A big part of this was to talk up their capabilities, claiming that they were the best fighting force in the Detroit Wasteland, the only ones good enough to defeat the Black Skulls (and on their home turf at that). This plan seemed to work for him. While the Army of Revolution’s forces were grim-faced and preparing for the inevitable, Rawson’s men were whipped into a frenzy of bloodlust fever, eager to prove themselves against their hated foes. The Razors were primed and ready to go, almost yearning for the day that the enemy would bear down upon them so that they could avenge themselves and prove just what they were capable of. However, the reality of the situation fell far short of the fantasy Rawson had built up. As the inevitable attack hit Park Lane from three different fronts at once, the Razors quickly wilted and crumbled under the onslaught. Unable to match the sheer numbers of the enemy force, as well as facing the same four Power Armour suits that had menaced them at The Castle, their morale quickly broke. Retreating from the barricades, the Razors fell back into Park Lane proper, fighting a losing rearguard action against the incoming tides. While Rawson initially tried to rally them, he soon abandoned the idea and focused entirely on his staying alive throughout the battle. By mid-morning on the second day of the fighting, Rawson had reached the conclusion that the situation was hopeless. Their erstwhile allies, the Scrap Dogs, had deserted earlier that day, and now the Army of Revolution and the Razors were pushed back into one corner of the town. Furthermore, it became clear that Speckler was going to fight to the death rather than admit defeat or lose Park Lane to the enemy. None of these factors bode well for Rawson, and as much as he wanted revenge against Wendell and the Black Skull company, he also had no desire to fight a suicidal last stand. Gathering up what was left of the Razors, Rawson simply deserted the battle, slipping out through the last parts of the town left in the Revolutionaries’ hands and leaving his allies to their fates. Using the fighting as a distraction, Rawson lead his men back to their headquarters to gather up what was left of his strength and plan his next move. Eventually, fate would come knocking at his door as the Black Skull Company were dispatched to end the threat that the Razors posed. While they had suffered losses in the battles for the Castle and the liberation of Park Lane, Rawson knew full well that they outnumbered his remaining forces, and were better trained and equipped to boot. On top of that, he also knew that they were going to be of a vengeful mindset after the losses that Rawson had inflicted on them. As expected, the Black Skulls headed straight for the Razors’ headquarters. Knowing full well that he had his back to the wall, Rawson ordered his men to hold their ground at any cost and fight to the death. The majority complied, feeling that some sort of defiant last stand would be preferable to capture by the Black Skulls, being turned over to the Foundry or any ‘mistreatment’ they may suffer along the way. Having whipped his men into a frenzy with visions of a heroic last stand, Rawson made his own preparations for the forthcoming battle. He didn’t have long to wait, as the Black Skulls hit them in force. Using heavy weapons and their sole Power Armour, they were able to steamroll the Razors’ defences and breach their headquarters with relative ease. The battle for the building quickly degenerated into a one-sided firefight as the Black Skulls systematically wiped out the Razors almost to a man. Seeing his dreams of a heroic last stand evaporating, Rawson chose to once more retreat, this time leaving behind the rest of his force to face the music and cover his escape. This plan (like everything else in his life, really) failed, and he was caught by the Black Skulls leaving the building while wearing a dress, a blonde wig and carrying a considerable stash of caps. Description Like its counterpart, Rawson’s Razors is supposedly organised along military lines. The company as a whole is divided into smaller squads, each one of which is under the command of a dedicated officer. Those officers are supposedly chosen from the most experienced and capable of the company’s members, and are the best qualified to lead. The truth is another matter, with the Razors often being only a semi-organised band of opportunistic thugs who, at their worst, are only a step above being Raiders. The company operates as a mercenary organisation, hiring out to employers, be it as a whole or by individual squads. The unit has a reputation for never turning down a job, regardless of the employer or what they’re being asked to do, as long as the price is right. They have no qualms or concerns about the job or the target, only that they get paid. The group does have one restriction on its members, however; they cannot have ever been a member of Black Skull company. Equipment Being a large mercenary unit, the Razors have a considerable arsenal at their disposal. Their policy of opportunistic looting of everything that’s not nailed down has given them a fair reserve of weapons and other equipment, while their excess is usually sold for caps or traded away. Most of the unit’s members will possess a working, pre-war firearm or at least a reasonable facsimile of one (like a Foundry Assault Rifle). While many of these are military grade weapons like assault rifles and submachine guns, some simpler weapons can also be found when thy have nothing better. Energy weapons are incredibly rare, however. With all that being said, very little standardisation exists within the company, and individual members usually have to make do with whatever supplies they have found or stolen, or what they can take from the central armoury. In many cases, officers will hoard the best weapons and equipment for their own and give their subordinates whatever is left over. The company don’t have any robots or Power Armour, but wish they did. It’s another thing that Black Skull has that they’re totally jealous of. Really. Locations The headquarters of Rawson’s Razors is in a former police station in the middle of the Detroit Wasteland. The building survived the Great War largely intact, and was used as a fallback position for police and National Guard units after the war before eventually being abandoned. However, the building remained sound, and would see passing use over the years before the Razors occupied it in 2281. Many of its features have survived, and have been put to use by the company, such as the secure armouries. Many of its members live there in converted offices. The Razors also send representatives to Park Lane to deal with potential employers as well as take advantages of traders and other servers. Those that stay there will usually just take a bed in a flophouse, although Rawson himself prefers to stay in the Park Lane. Likewise, they have a smaller presence in Arsetown, as mercenaries without scruples can be often handy to hobos. Notable Members Ryan Rawson The leader and founder of Rawson’s Razors, Ryan is a tough man with a chip on his shoulder. Growing up poor in Baggie High, his early years taught him that fighting was the best way to get what he wanted. He turned to mercenary work at an early age and never once looked back, instead showing an almost gleeful willingness to fight and kill for a handful of caps. Hearing about Black Skull Company, Rawson became determined to join the prestigious outfit one day, seeing them as being the best merc group in the Detroit Wasteland. Instead, his application to join the company was rejected on the grounds of his lack of ethics, morals and scruples. This left Rawson embittered, feeling that he deserved his place in the unit, and that he had been rejected because of personal biases rather than any failings on his part. Thus Rawson built the Razors out of spite more than anything else. And while he is a gruff, rugged and determined man, he continues to let this one failure define him. Rawson has a particular grudge against Kara Stinson. It’s not just that she joined the company after he left, but he’s seen the way that Wendell looks at her and he’s more than a bit jealous. Following the destruction of the Razors, Rawson was captured by Black Skull company. He is presently being held in Park Lane, awaiting trial. Jose Esetipo A member of the Razors, Jose Esetipo is most infamous among its members for his ability to run his mouth off. No matter what the situation, he always has some supposedly witty remark at hand, usually in the form of some non-sequitur that has nothing to do with anything and often comes off as crude or ill-informed. At other times he will delve into his extensive knowledge of 2070s popular culture to make some remark that he is convinced is very witty and topical, followed almost inevitably by a comment of ‘you see what I did there’. He fails to understand that doing such is not a substitute for actual humour, having an actual personality of his own, or a functional plot of a computer RPG. Jose wears a ski mask at all times. He claims it’s because he’s horribly scarred, although it’s just as possible that nobody likes him. Esetipo was killed during the liberation of Park Lane. His last words were "witty pop culture quip". Whispering Willie Jackson A sometimes member of the group, Whispering Willie shares their morals, scruples and loyalties, all dependent on the almighty Bottlecap. While he has resisted offers to join full time, Whispering Willie has been subcontracted when the group needs his specific skillset of infiltration and sabotage in preparation for some greater operation. His connection with various other dubious parties have also come in handy for the company, including making the deals that saw them employed by the Army of Revolution. Whispering Willie was killed during the retaking of the Castle, having managed to work his way into a conrer, both literally and figuratively. Category:Mercenaries Category:Groups Category:Michigan